The present invention is a device relating to the cutting of an opening in a disposable beverage cup lid so that when the cut lid is placed on a beverage containing cup, one can drink the beverage therethrough without any splashing or spilling of the liquid contents.
The pace of today's society is producing an ever increasing demand for fast food and drink establishments. A frequently occurring problem is how to drink a recently purchased hot cup of coffee while commuting to or from work. Currently available lids for beverage cups either have no openings or have a perforated circular type opening for inserting a straw. A major objective of this invention is to provide a means for producing an opening at the periphery of a beverage cup lid that enables one to drink directly from a covered cup. A second major objective of this invention is to provide a lid cutter that is simple enough in design and easy enough to operate so that lids can be cut within seconds by relatively untrained personnel while the customer waits.
Numerous punch type cutters have been devised but none are available that are simple enough in design and capable of properly orienting a beverage cup lid for the cutting of an opening at the lid periphery, enabling one to drink beverages directly therethrough.
This invention is a novel device for cutting an opening in a beverage cup lid. The device comprises a housing that defines a plunger channel containing a slot transverse to the channel. The slot is configured so as to permit the insertion of a lid to a predetermined depth thereby exposing a portion of the lid within the channel. The slot is also configured so as to maintain the plane of the lid in a transverse orientation with respect to the channel. The device further comprises a cutting assembly having a handle, plunger and a cutting edge. The plunger is slideably mounted within the channel and the cutting edge has a configuration similar to that of at least one cutting wall of the channel. The plunger is capable of reciprocal movement within the channel between retracted and advanced positions. When the lid is placed in the slot, that portion of the lid exposed within the channel will be removed as the cutting edge moves past the slot. The cutting assembly is biased to its original retracted position by a helical spring and guidebar located within the plunger channel.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.